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Wilson confident Hamilton will return to form

Wilson confident Hamilton will return to form

8/18/13: Josh Hamilton launches a solo home run to center field to pull the Angels even with the Astros at 3 in the bottom of the fourth

By Alden Gonzalez and William Boor
/
MLB.com |

ANAHEIM -- C.J. Wilson has a long history with struggling slugger Josh Hamilton, and the Angels starter has no doubt Hamilton will revert back to his traditional form next season.

"A hundred percent, because you've seen flashes of it," Wilson said Monday. "The last couple of games, he's been driving the ball. I have no doubt, personally, because I played with him for so long [in Texas]. I know what he's capable of. And everybody else does, too. That's why they aren't throwing him strikes."

Hamilton has been on a good run lately, homering in back-to-back games heading into Monday's series opener against the Indians and carrying a .366 batting average over his previous 10 games. But his season has been mired by an inability to build on the occasional hot streak, his slash line still at .230/.285/.425 over his first 116 games.

With the Rangers from 2008-12, it was .305/.363/.549.

"Hitting has always been the easy thing for him," Wilson said. "When there was an offseason issue or an off-field distraction or people getting on his case or whatever, he just went out there and hit. That's a very difficult thing to maintain indefinitely.

"I think guys have adjusted to his aggressiveness this year, and I think he's adjusted back and he's been drawing more walks recently and hitting for extra bases. It's funny because the stuff that he's struggling with now is the stuff that a lot of guys struggle with at a lot younger age. His talent creates a different level of expectations."